BOSTON, Mass. -- Senior forward Presley Silva (Wilmington, Mass.) netted 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Simmons College women's basketball team in a 64-52 loss to visiting Johnson & Wales University this evening in a Great Northeast Athletic Conference game at Moore Gymnasium in Boston, Mass. The Sharks fall to 1-10 overall and 1-5 in league play, while the Wildcats improve to 9-6 and 5-1.
Simmons held Johnson & Wales to just 29.7% (19-64) shooting from the floor, but turned the ball over 32 times and watched the Wildcats convert 24 of 32 free throw attempts.
Silva was 8-15 from the floor and posted her fourth double-double of the year to go with five blocks, two assists and two steals, while first year forward Julia LaMontagne (Amesbury, Mass.) posted career highs with 10 points and six rebounds. Junior guard Rebekah Carroll (Londonderry, N.H.) contributed with a game-high seven assists in addition to three points, four rebounds and a steal.
Senior guard Kristen Habbel (Phoenixville, Pa.) registered a double-double of her own with 13 points and a career-high 11 steals to lead Johnson & Wales and was 4-8 from the field and 5-6 from the free throw line in addition to pulling down four rebounds and handing out four assists for the Wildcats. Junior forward Ally Mishol (Longmeadow, Mass.) scored 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds, blocked three shots and dished out two assists, while senior guard Raquel Pederzani (Coventry, R.I.) chipped in with 11 points, four assists, three steals and a rebound in 23 minutes of action.
The teams were knotted at 6-6 with 4:39 showing in the first period, before Simmons went on an 8-2 run, paced by single three-pointers from first year guard Carli Koffinke (Franklin, Mass.) and junior guard Francesca Corsinetti (Johnston, R.I.), to take a 14-8 lead with 1:57 to go in the first quarter. Johnson & Wales closed to within 14-12 before heading to the second quarter.
The Sharks later opened up a 24-19 margin following a Silva lay-up at 2:01 of the second quarter, but the Wildcats reeled off six straight points, including a pair of free throws from senior guard Sarah Duryea (Queens, N.Y.) with seven ticks remaining in the half, to give them their first lead of the game at 25-24 before heading into the intermission.
Mishol later knocked down a jumper to give Johnson & Wales a 37-34 lead with 3:27 left in the third quarter, but a lay-up from LaMontagne and a free throw from first year guard Suzie Cosme (Framingham, Mass.) tied the game for Simmons at 37-37 with 2:27 to go in the quarter. The Wildcats scored the final six points of the period, including four from sophomore guard Britney Gallagher (New City, N.Y.), to take a 43-37 cushion into the final quarter.
Johnson & Wales put together a 12-4 burst, paced by four points from Mishol, to take its largest lead of the night at 55-41 with 6:37 showing in the fourth period. The Sharks responded with 11 of the next 13 points, including a three-pointer from Corsinetti at the 3:20 mark to cut the deficit to 57-52. It was as close as Simmons would come as the Wildcats netted the final seven points of the game to take home the victory.
The Sharks return to action on Saturday, January 20 when they head to Newton, Mass. to take on GNAC foe Lasell College at 1:00 p.m., while Johnson & Wales hosts Regis (Mass.) on January 18 at 5:30 p.m.